FG to Transmit National Policing Bill to National Assembly Within Two Weeks
FG to Transmit National Policing Bill to National Assembly Within Two Weeks
FG to Transmit National Policing Bill to National Assembly Within Two Weeks
The Presidential Working Group on policing reform has announced plans to transmit the National Policing Bill to the National Assembly within the next two weeks, following the conclusion of ongoing consultations and reviews.
The Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the Working Group, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists after a steering committee meeting at the State House in Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said the bill was about 90 per cent ready, adding that another meeting would likely be held to address outstanding issues and incorporate observations from state governors before its transmission.
“The National Policing Bill is more or less ready for transmission to the National Assembly. We will probably have one more meeting after this to cross the t’s and dot the i’s and make sure every area is covered. So, we are 90 per cent ready,” he said.
He added that the governors had raised one or two observations, expressing optimism that the bill would be ready within about a week.
Describing the proposed legislation as “the most consequential Bill of the administration so far,” Gbajabiamila said it had undergone intensive deliberations in recent weeks, following the commencement of the Working Group’s steering committee meetings on August 3.
On concerns about the pace of state-level approval of the Sixth Constitution Alteration Bill on state police, particularly reports that only about six states had passed the amendment out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Gbajabiamila expressed confidence in the process.
He maintained that there was a national consensus on the need for the constitutional amendments, saying he saw no reason for any state to reconsider its position.
The meeting was attended by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State; and the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu.
Also present was the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice’s representative, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jedy-Agba.
Other participants included the Chairman of the Policy Advisory Committee, Justice Abdullahi Liman (rtd); Head of the Nigeria Police Reform Secretariat, Professor Olu Ogunsakin; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters (House of Representatives), Dr Lanre Smart; and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Planning and Research and Secretary of the Committee, Nnadubem Moghalu.
Representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association and the National Security Adviser also participated, with AIG Abraham Nabhon Thomas representing the latter.
The proposed National Policing Bill and the constitutional amendment on state police form part of ongoing efforts to reform Nigeria’s policing framework and address security challenges through institutional changes.
FG to Transmit National Policing Bill to National Assembly Within Two Weeks
